Hi, my name is Kate, and welcome to my BetterHelp profile. When it comes to picking a counselor to work with, I wonder what you're most concerned about: Personality? Education? Experience? Treatment approach? Overall, I strive to help my clients feel as safe and welcomed as possible, so I hope giving you some details on the topics I just mentioned will do just that:
If it's my personality you're curious about, clients often tell me I am very warm, friendly, positive and supportive. I'm also told I'm a very good listener, and that I have great skills for analysis and insight.
Regarding education, I have a BA in English Literature from Fairfield University, a masters in Social Work from Fordham University, and a masters in Human Sexuality from NYU. Prior to my masters degrees, I worked in career development and have special training in career/executive coaching needs.
When it comes to experience, I've been working for the last 7 years as a licensed counselor. I've helped clients heal, find solutions and ways to manage many challenges, including depression, anxiety, life change/loss, stress management, career challenges, LGBTQ-related issues, eating disorders, relationship/sexuality issues and more. I'm also kink/poly/BDSM/alt lifestyle-friendly as well.
No matter what the challenge, I think the first step is reassuring my clients that--no--you are not alone with this problem, especially now that you've been so courageous as to seek out a counselor's help! After that, we can start to explore and develop ways to make your challenges feel more manageable.
That said, regarding treatment approach, in the beginning I usually like to listen a lot and do my best to understand what's bringing you to counseling. We can talk about what has helped you solve problems in the past, and why it seems so hard now. Then, as for interventions, I have training in science-backed methods like CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), DBT (dialectical behavioral therapy), and creative therapies. But, I'm not a "one size fits all" therapist, either: for example, I once helped a client feeling isolated to locate some long-lost family, to positive effect. I can't necessarily do things like that for every client, as it might not be related to our particular therapy, but I mention this because working with me means you will get a counseling experience tailored to you. Thank you for reading and considering me!
Additional areas of focus: Addictions, Relationship issues, Family conflicts, Trauma and abuse, Grief, Eating disorders, Parenting issues, Self esteem, Bipolar disorder, Depression, Coping with life changes, Compassion fatigue, ADHD, BDSM, Kink, Alternative Sex Culture, Body image, Eating and Food-Related Issues, Family of Origin Issues, Forgiveness, Gender Dysphoria, Life purpose, Midlife crisis, Money and financial issues, Panic disorder and panic attacks, Phobias, Polyamory / Nonmonogamous Relationships, Self-love, Sexual Dysfunction, Sexuality, Social anxiety and phobia, Women's issues, Workplace issues
Clinical approaches: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Existential Therapy, Mindfulness Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, Somatic Therapy
NY LCSW 087468-1